Need to change law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy: Doctors

While women may visit doctors for a variety of reasons, the most common ones are unwanted pregnancy (due to career), spacing between children and failure of contraception.Amrita Didyala | TNN | August 07, 2017, 13:37 IST

HYDERABAD: With about 40 per cent pregnant women in the city requesting for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) or abortions, many often violate the rules. Pregnancy can be terminated for medical reasons till the 20th week.

While women may visit doctors for a variety of reasons, the most common ones are unwanted pregnancy (due to career), spacing between children and failure of contraception.

There are also at least four per cent of women, who have serious need for MTP due to foetal anomalies. Many of them find the 45-year-old abortion rule coming in their way and end up carrying on the pregnancy.

"Right now we have a few cases where the foetus has serious complication although it might not be lethal. The women don't have a choice as the anomaly scan was done later than 20 weeks and now the baby once born has to undergo a series of operations. While these kind of cases might be five per cent, MTP requests coming in are many," said Dr Malathi Ponnuru, assistant professor, Petlaburj Government Maternity Hospital.

While the recent episode of a child rape victim being denied abortion by a court as she has crossed the 20 weeks deadline has drawn international attention, top obstetricians and gynaecologists from the country are now batting for change in abortion law from 20 weeks to a 'case-based limit'. Soon a draft representation on abortion law will be made by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).

"Since the law was made, medical practice, diagnostics as well as the nature of crimes against women has changed.

"Apart from cases where a pregnancy occurs due to rape, in a significant number of cases where the foetus has cardiac abnormalities, the abnormality is being picked up very late.

"This is more so in the case of women, who hail from rural areas. By the time they consult a few doctors and are finally referred to a hospital in a big city where all diagnostic facilities are available, they would have crossed the 20 week mark," explained Dr Rishma D Pai, president of FOGSI.

With immense pride “India Live” celebrated its 10th national conference in Mumbai from 28th February to 3rd March 2019. The conference turned out to be a gold mine of information, with emphasis on academics, education and exchange of knowledge with leaders in interventional cardiology from both India and abroad.